If a movie were to be written about Punchbowl Boys High, Principal Jihad Dib wants to be very clear about one thing - his part should be played by Hugh Jackman.

He was 33 when he was appointed the school's Principal, which at the time had an atmosphere of 'helplessness'.

"It had dedicated staff, but kids who weren't really sure how to achieve, mainly because of a disconnect between the community, the school, the teachers and the students," he says in an interview with 702 ABC Sydney's Richard Glover.

As a result of this helplessness, he says violence and disrespect among the students became an 'easy way out'.

"Our biggest challenge was to get the kids to believe in the school and to believe in the possibilities," he says.

So the teachers and staff set about changing the way everyone interacted - including the parents. And they began by doing one simple thing.

"We would stand at the front gate...

"Meeting at the front gate is so good because it's symbolic of welcoming them in to a building.

"So you weren't just talking to a parent when there was a problem, you actually got to develop a relationship," he says.

From that point on, it was about listening to the students.

"The first response from the boys when you catch them doing the wrong thing is, 'but Sir, you never ever see me when I do well.'"

So the school started using a new phrase, 'let's catch the kids doing the right thing'.

"We also want to focus on that kid that sometimes doesn't get recognised. He's never gonna come first in the class, he's not the greatest sportsman, he's just a really good kid.

"So you make them feel that you don't have to be the best or the worst to be recognised," he says.

One of the students, Derek Godinet, has written a song about how much he loves his school and says the community has become more accepting of Punchbowl Boys High in recent years.

"When I was in Year 7 and people used to say 'What school do you go to?', I'd say 'Punchbowl' and they'd say 'Oh, that school' because they all thought about the history of the school and judged it on that. Perception of the school has changed," Derek says.

Student Anas Yaghmour says the teachers are 'brilliant'.

"They stay back for us and give us tutoring, one on one. It's something big," he says.

You can listen to the Principal Jihad Dib and the students of Punchbowl Boys High, by clicking on the audio links.